The invisible costs of cancer treatment
Dr. Kamal Golla is back on the podcast this week discussing the financial considerations for patients and their care team after a cancer diagnosis.
Patient Financial Communications Adopter Recognition Program
Show that you've implemented best practices for patient financial communications. Let HFMA recognize your organization as a Patient Financial Communications Adopter.
A key election question: What will happen to the enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies?
Earl Pomeroy knows from experience that the politics surrounding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are dicey. As a Democratic member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Pomeroy helped pass the ACA during his ninth term representing North Dakota. After that, “I lost my job,” he recalled. Since his time in Congress ended with his…
FAQs about Patient Financial Communications
When is it OK to have financial discussions with patients? A reasonable attempt should be made to have the discussion as early as possible, before a financial obligation is incurred (i.e., before care is provided). Timely discussions
Proposed rule to halt credit-reporting of medical debt would have big ramifications for hospitals and other providers
A proposed rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) would curtail the inclusion of medical debt in credit evaluations, potentially shaking up healthcare billing and collections processes. The CFPB framed part of its rationale for the rule in the context of privacy, noting Congress previously limited the sharing of a patient’s medical information in…
Personalized communication helps State provide the highest possible recovery and patient-satisfaction rates for clients
Learn about a company that combines advanced technology with human interaction to increase recoveries and patient satisfaction.
Navigating toward successful contract negotiations with health plans
A group of healthcare leaders discuss various tactics they are using to negotiate better rates with payers and ensure payers’ commitment to accurate, timely payment.
Shawn Stack: The value of revisiting policies and processes for financial assistance
The charity care processes adopted by healthcare providers have attracted criticism in media stories focusing on the high cost of care. On a recent episode of HFMA’s “Voices in Healthcare Finance” podcast, HFMA Policy Director Shawn Stack discussed the value of revisiting financial assistance policies and processes. Below is an excerpt from the interview. Erika…
Healthcare Blame Game: New York Times medical debt piece dubbed ‘laziest story of the year,’ plus revisiting charity care policies
Brad examines a New York Times article by investigative reporter Sarah Kliff about a recent study of patients whose debt was eliminated by RIP Medical Debt. Researchers say the results surprised them.
It’s time to revisit your charity care policy
The cover story in the May issue of hfm focuses on a South Dakota health system that developed a new process to identify charity care patients. In this episode, HFMA Policy Director Shawn Stack discusses why good financial assistance policies and process are essential to patient care.